A Free Man

Ok, I owe the musicians of Florida an apology of sorts. A few days in the anodyne sunshine after a long British winter has rendered me languid and lacking in the drive required for writing. So, I can understand why their may be fewer great bands coming out of the Florida sundaze. I also have a greater admiration for those artists that do put out great music.

One of those is Orlando based Deaddolphin, the vessel for Greg Harned’s musical explorations. Deaddolphin makes a strange brand of bluegrass influenced hip-hop, or hip-hop influenced bluegras, that is refreshing amongst the formulaic power pop bands that seem to be rife in the Sunshine State. Musically, Deaddolphin rests somewhere between Beck’s early work with independent labels like K and Georgian rapper Bubba Sparxxx. Deaddolphin’s new EP “This Youth” is out now. Certainly one of the most creative Floridian artists that I could find, Greg was kind enough to sit down for a chat on A Free Man’s virtual couch.

AFM: Tell me about yourself. What, or who, is Deaddolphin?

GH: I began to use “Deaddolphin” after my brother coined the name from a dolphin skull I had resting in my studio. I had been tinkering around with computer music software (Ableton 4 and Reason 2.5 at the time) and needed a vessel to send it off into the world. Deaddolphin followed.

AFM: I believe that you and your brother make music together. Who does what in Deaddolphin? What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of being in a band with your brother?

GH: My brother has taken a less prominent role in Deaddolphin as he is currently pursuing his Masters in Divinity. Whenever he has time, he will drop in and lay some keys down. The advantages are he has a lot of musical theory background, and enjoys exploring non-traditional sounds and time signatures.

AFM: You do an interesting melding of bluegrass and hip-hop, a formula that doesn’t work well most of the time. Beck did it a little and you hear some ironic banjo on the occasional hip hop track. Where did your inspirations for this kind of odd partnership come from?

GH: I have had a passion for hip-hop and bluegrass since I was a teenager. My uncle is a fantastic banjo player, and whenever we would get together we would pick some bluegrass tunes and there’s something about playing songs that have been around 50, 75, sometimes over 100 years old is really something special. I picked up the mandolin a couple years ago and have been enjoying that too. I hope to incorporate it into my music more in the future.

AFM: How much of your music is synthesizer and samples and how much “real” instruments? For example, where’s the banjo in “Monkey & Tiger” coming from? Where did you learn to play?

GH: The banjo and the mandolin in “Monkey and Tiger” are both me playing. I learned guitar from my father when I was a boy and actually borrowed a banjo for about a year from my uncle, I had to give it back but I had fun with it for awhile.

AFM:What is Galvanized Caterpillar and how does it relate to Deaddolphin?

Galvanized Caterpillar is a local consisting of myself and rapper Journ. He has played many shows and festivals in the Central Florida area in the past year following the release of our EP “The Rise of Change”.

AFM: What other collaborations have you participated in?

GH: I work with Collie Bucky on a regular basis in a group called the Terror Pins. Also a couple of guys from Canada, Locution Revolution and I collaborated for a song “Luv Hate Soulmate”.

AFM: In an ideal world, with which band or artist - living or dead - would you most like to collaborate?

GH: Bob Dylan
AFM: OK, it’s time to deal with your home state (and mine actually). Don’t take this the wrong way, but I really struggled to find any decent bands from Florida. Is the Sunshine State a cultural wasteland or am I missing out on a scene? To rephrase, does Florida really just suck musically?

GH: I think they are out there for sure, but they are all in little enclaves that make finding them very difficult. Hopefully there will be a seachange soon.

AFM: What other Florida bands should I know about?

GH: Discovery of Magnetic North

AFM: Describe Orlando to me in ten words or less.

GH: Mickey Mouse bunks with Satan.

AFM: Well said. Which of your songs is the most “Floridian”?

GH: Probably “Sunk Sun” instrumentally, “Facemask” lyrically.

AFM: What’s next for Deaddolphin?
I am working on another album with Collie to complete soon, and Galvanized Caterpillar should have a new album out at the end of summer.
13. Bonus: Best Orlando band - Matchbox 20, O-Town or the Disney Main Street Band?

Britney Spears.

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Whoa, Greg, going outside the parameters of the bonus question is cheeky! Nonetheless, check out these tracks from Deaddolphin’s EP “This Youth”, available from .

MP3: Deaddolphin - “Sunk Sun” ft. Kat Hedd and Katis Pavis
MP3: Deaddolphin - “Facemask”